Revista Brasileira de terapia intensiva
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Obese patients seem to have worse outcomes and more complications during intensive care unit (ICU) stay. This study describes the clinical course, complications and prognostic factors of obese patients admitted to an intensive care unit compared to a control group of nonobese patients. ⋯ Obesity did not increase the mortality rate, but improved intensive care unit length of stay. The current prognostic scoring systems do not include BMI, possibly underestimating the risk of death, and other quality of care indexes in obese patients. New studies could be useful to clarify how body mass index impacts the mortality rate.
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The elderly population is increasing all over the world. The need of intensive care by the elderly is also increasing. There is a lack of studies investigating the risk factors for death among critically ill elderly patients. This study aims to investigate the factors associated with death in a population of critically ill elderly patients admitted to an intensive care unit in Brazil. ⋯ Mortality is high among critically ill elderly patients. Factors associated with death were age, coma, hypotension, respiratory failure and acute kidney injury.
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Rev Bras Ter Intensiva · Jun 2010
Spontaneous breathing trial evaluation in preterm newborns extubation.
Neonates mechanic ventilation weaning has become a major clinical challenge, and constitutes a large portion of neonatal intensive care units workload. The spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), performed immediately before extubation, can provide useful information on the patient's spontaneous breathing ability. This study aimed to assess the SBT effectiveness for extubation success prediction in mechanically ventilated preterm infants. ⋯ The significant association between SBT and extubation success may contribute for prediction of successful weaning in preterm infants.
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Rev Bras Ter Intensiva · Jun 2010
Orotracheal intubation: physicians knowledge assessment and clinical practices in intensive care units.
To assess the physicians knowledge on intubation techniques and to identify the common practices. ⋯ Physicians knowledge on orotracheal intubation in the intensive care unit is unsatisfactory, even among qualified professionals. It is necessary to check if the responses to the questionnaire and actual clinical practices agree.
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Rev Bras Ter Intensiva · Jun 2010
Mild therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest: mechanism of action and protocol development.
Cardiac arrest is a high mortality event and the associated brain ischemia frequently causes severe neurological damage and persistent vegetative state. Therapeutic hypothermia is an important tool for the treatment of post-anoxic coma after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. ⋯ Nevertheless, hypothermia is underused in critical care units. This manuscript aims to review the hypothermia mechanism of action in cardiac arrest survivors and to propose a simple protocol, feasible to be implemented in any critical care unit.